


Anesthesia

by Superellysan



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: Anyway I hope you like it!, Gen, I think the title is probably warning enough, If you have sensitivity to hospital stuff then be warned, It starts sad but ends happy I promise, This is officially my first ever solo fic on here!, Woo!, but um
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 08:17:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9226304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superellysan/pseuds/Superellysan
Summary: This is post X2. X takes Zero to be examined to ensure that he's 100% fine after his parts were in the hands of the enemy. Problem is, he'll need to be put under in order to do so, and it's his first time. He is not okay with any of this.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

Two pairs of footsteps echoed loudly down the deserted hall as X led Zero to the medbay. Zero’s pace slowed down the closer they got, to the point where X was practically dragging him by the time they reached the examiner’s room. X reached to pull open the door, and Zero’s hand shot out to stop him. He gripped X’s arm and nervously asked “X, do I really have to….?” He motioned his head towards the door.

“Yes” X said, pulling his away from Zero’s grip. “You have to.” X pulled open the door and stood back, waiting for Zero to enter. Zero looked at his friend and shakily sighed before stepping through the door. X followed him in.

Fluorescent lights brightly lit the room. There was another door to their left, and monitors lined the wall to their right, their screens already running some diagnostics. The old (and definitely outdated) blueprints for Zero was displayed on one of the monitors. The middle of the room held tables and carts filled with tools and equipment, all clustered around one long rectangular table.

The operating table.

X cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted “Doctor, we’re here!” His voice echoed around the room for a few seconds. Zero nervously glanced at his friend as he half-seriously considered bolting out the door. They waited for a minute before X tried shouting again. “Doc-!”

Zero nearly jumped as a loud, rusty voice yelled “YEAH, YEAH, GIVE ME A MOMENT!” He watched as a large yellow and steel gray reploid with a military green cap wheeled his way into the room from the left-hand doorway. He was boxy in shape, large chested with broad shoulders. He had thick legs, and where his feet should have been, there were wheels instead. He wheeled his way up to Zero, and stopped a little too close for Zero’s liking. He looked Zero up and down appraisingly, wheeling around him as he said “So this is the one, huh? Your friend, the living zombie.” He clicked his tongue and looked Zero in the eye as he said “Some heck of a design you got there, hero.”

Zero looked back at X, confusion written on his face. X gave an awkward chuckle as he said “This is Harley. He was put on the medical team about 3 months ago, while you were….” X shook his head, and waved towards Harley as he continued. “His manners are a bit rough, but he’s one of the best medical examiners the hunters have. He’s the one who’s going to be examining you today.”

Zero looked back at Harley in apprehension, and Harley laughed. “Heard from X that this is your first time being put under for inspection, eh?” Harley gave Zero a rough pat on the back that nearly sent him sprawling to the ground as he bellowed “No worries, my boy! I’ll take good care of ya! Now,” he gestured to the operating table “if you wouldn’t mind lying down so we can get started?”

Zero gulped and silently walked towards the table. He sat on its rim and Harley directed him to lie his head down near the edge. X walked up to Zero as Harley wheeled over to a console under one of the monitors, input a few lines of code, and wheeled back. He then pushed a button on the underside of the table before beginning to set up his equipment. Metal restraints popped out of the table’s smooth surface and pinned Zero’s arms and legs down. Zero flinched and squirmed under the restraints. His head turned towards X, his eyes beseeching explanation.

“Don’t worry, Zero” X reassured him, and placed his hand over Zero’s arm before turning to Harley and asking “What are the restraints for?” Harley didn’t even look up from his preparation as he replied “It’s a safety precaution, in case some kind of ‘survival protocol’ or whatever kicks in while we’re putting him under.”

Zero blanched at the words ‘survival protocol’, and began to struggle against his restraints, full blown panic seeping into him. X held both of Zero’s arms down and leaned over him, saying “Zero, don’t worry. Just breathe, okay? You’re going to be okay.” Zero stopped struggling and hesitantly nodded, steadying his breath as he did so. X smiled, and let go of Zero’s arms. “Feeling better?” Zero sighed, but nodded. He glanced behind X, towards Harley. X saw Zero’s eyes widen as pure terror overtook his features. X looked back and recoiled himself at what the doctor held in his hands.

Harley was holding a large syringe that was filled with a grainy yellow liquid. The needle that topped the syringe was what frightened the two of them, though. It was the biggest needle either of them had ever seen, about half the width and height of the average spike in a spike trap. “Ha-Harley….” X stuttered, as Zero laid frozen with fear behind him. “Is… Is tha-that re-really ne-necessary? Can’t he ju-just b-be shu-shut down? Li-like normal?”

Harley hefted the syringe in his hands as he replied “Sorry, X, but I’ve been looking over his blueprints and he doesn’t seem to have the normal shut down protocols in him. Or any at all, as a matter of fact. So, we’ll have to put him under using the formula we use for studying mavericks.”

Zero shivered as X weakly sputtered “Mav… O-okay, b-but…. Is the… the needle re-really…. needed?” Harley looked at the syringe in his hand and said “Of course it’s needed! How else are we going to get the stuff in him?”

X muttered “Ye-yeah, but….. the size….” He flinched as his back hit something, and turned to see that he had unconsciously been backing away towards the operating table. Harley sighed as he traveled around to the other side of the table, syringe in hand. Zero’s eyes fearfully tracked him closely as he moved. “Zero’s body is too strong to use my regular equipment on.” He looked down at Zero’s trembling form and continued “Just so you know, I’ll have to inject this into his weakest point, which if the blueprints are to be trusted, is his neck.”

Zero’s pupils shrank as his eyes widened, and he started to hyperventilate, quivering under his restraints. X gripped Zero’s hand in his, and Zero turned to him. X couldn’t help but think of a trapped animal when he looked at his friend’s panic, at the fear and slight hysteria that colored his eyes. X squeezed his friend’s hand reassuringly as he said “You… You’ll be fine, alright? You’ll be okay.”

“X,” Zero quietly said, almost whimpering as he did so. “Stay with me. Please?”

“Of course.” X replied, smiling gently down at him. He could see Zero breathe out and physically relax a bit at his words.

Harley fake coughed to draw their attention, before asking “Should I give a three-count warning?” They both heard Zero hoarsely whisper “please do.” X watched as Harley leveled the needle at the side of Zero’s neck, and Zero tensed as Harley began to count.

“One… Two… Three!”

On three, Harley pushed the needle into Zero’s throat, and Zero gasped in pain. X rubbed circles into Zero’s palm with his thumb to help calm him. He heard Harley say “Alright, it’s in. Injecting the serum now.”

* * *

 

**(Zero’s perspective)**

Zero’s eyes became as wide as saucers and his breathing became ragged as he desperately tried and failed not to freak out. X held onto him, saying something in a comforting yet slightly panicked tone, but Zero couldn’t make out the words through the ringing in his ears.

Zero desperately tried to stay awake for as long as he could, but a static quickly began to fill his vision as he felt his consciousness slip away.

He kept his eyes open, trying to stare at X, but he couldn’t see him anymore.

Zero felt panicked, alone, afraid.

And then suddenly, he felt nothing, as he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

 

**(X's perspective)**

X watched as the needle went into his friend, watched as his friend's eyes widened and his breathing began to become hoarse and ragged.

His friend began to shiver fiercely, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. X was quickly leaning over him, his hands firmly gripping Zero's hand and arm.

"You're gonna be okay" X said, unable to keep his worry out of his voice completely, "You're going to be fine. It's just like taking a nap, okay? And once you wake up, we'll go out. We'll go out and just walk around town like we always did. That'll be nice, right, Zero?"

"X....." Zero hoarsely croaked.

"Yes?" X shakily replied.

"X.... I....."

"You.... what?"

Tears began to pour down Zero's face

"I.... don't want... to... die......"

X's eyes widened at that, and he forced himself to swallow whatever shaky sob had been forming in his throat before he replied "You're not dying. Zero, you aren't dying, okay?"

"Ek.......ksu......." Zero stuttered out. His eyes glazed over as he succumbed to the anesthesia.

X just stared at his friend, his breath hitching as tears now flowed down his own cheeks.

The doctor, having watched the entire display, awkwardly coughed. “Hey, X. I uh… I should probably get started. Could you please leave?” X looked at him blankly. Harley quickly added “I’ll come and get you as soon as he’s in the recovery room, and you can wait for him to wake up there, alright? For now, though……” Harley motioned towards the door.

X numbly nodded, and walked out, only stopping to glance back at Zero's prone form.

* * *

 

The next thing Zero knew, he was in a bed in a pale cream room, covered by a blanket up to his chest, his arms outside the blankets. He heard the faint beeping of a monitor nearby, and noticed that there were wires running from his arms to said monitor. He also noticed X sitting in a chair nearby. X was slightly slouched over, but Zero could see his shoulders and back shake as he breathed.

"Ek..." Zero started, before quickly stopping at the realization of how ragged his voice sounds. Even so, X heard him and began to stir.

X lifted his sleepy eyes up to Zero's, and wearily but softly smiled. "You're up" he said.

Zero tried to sit up, but X quickly rose from his chair, held his friend’s shoulders, and guided him back into the bed, saying "Sorry, Zero, but some of your systems are still trying to come online. You'll have to wait until they're all online to get up."

Zero pouted, but relaxed back into the bed without complaint. X sighed in relief.

The two stayed silent for a few minutes, before Zero quietly said "Thanks for being there for me."

"Huh? Oh, no...." X hesitated "no problem."

Zero didn't notice the hesitation and continued on, "And thanks for being here for me as well. How long was I out, by the way?" X rubbed at his arm as he answered. "A-about 6 hours."

Zero blinked and whispered "6? Huh." He stared blankly up at the ceiling. After a moment, X asked "Zero? Are you alright?"

"Yeah,” Zero replied hazily. “I'm just.... Just thinking...."

"About what?" X asked.

Zero laid there silently for a moment. When X was about to ask again, he softly spoke.

"I was thinking.... about our fight."

X stiffened at that. "What about it?" he asked.

Zero quietly said "I.... I don't remember most of it, but the bits that I remember....” He paused, before whispering “I almost killed you."

X shuddered at that, and replied with "Well, you didn't, and I'm not holding that against you anyway."

"But I hurt you...." Zero weakly said.

X sat down on the side of the bed and continued. "You were being controlled. It's not your fault. It's not like you actually wanted to hurt me."

Zero sadly grunted in what may have been agreement, and looked away.

"And besides," X continued, "that doesn't matter now. All that matters is that we defeated Sigma and now you're safe, you're here, and you're..... you’re………."

Zero heard X's voice begin to peter out and turned to look at him. He saw silent tears begin to make tracks down X's face.

"X?" Zero shakily asked, worry welling up inside him. "Is something wrong?"

X buried his face in his hands and sobbed out "You're... alive... You're actually..... alive.... I....."

Zero struggled to sit up, and this time X didn't stop him. He reached his hand towards X's face and said "I know I'm alive. Why are you crying?"

X took a moment to respond, and when he did he choked out "...it was my fault...."

"What?" Zero asked, confused.

"it was my fault you..... " X fell back into sobs.

Zero reached out and took one of X's hands into his own.

"No, X, no it wasn't." Zero said as firmly as he could.

X looked at him and brokenly replied "yes it was.... I wasn't strong enough.... And because of that, you… you died........."

X's shoulders shook as he continued. "I couldn't forgive myself for it..... if I was only stronger.... then you wouldn't have...."

Zero hastily replied "And if I was only stronger, you wouldn't have had to fight in the first place. I'm sorry that you ever had to get involved."

X sniffled, and weakly continued speaking. "Zero, you needed me.... It's fine....." So he said, but his eyes betrayed him. Zero could tell X was lying. He tried to think of something to change the topic.

"Hey," Zero said, "thanks for saying those comforting words while I was... going under...."

X stared at him, and Zero coughed out "I mean, I didn't really.. hear what you were saying, but it still kinda... helped?"

X's tears can back full force, and Zero began to panic.

"What?" he stuttered out "D-did I say s-something wrong??"

X looked at him and with a hitch in his voice asked "Do you... not remember what you said?"

Zero wracked his brain, but couldn't think of or remember anything, so he weakly stammered out "n-not really..... Wh-" he continued on hesitantly, "what... did I say?"

X’s sorrow wracked his body and rendered him mute for a few seconds. When he could speak again, he almost inaudibly replied "you... when you were going under.... you told me... you didn't want to... to...." X swallowed, then said "....die..."

Zero looked at him in horror as X curled himself tightly into his chair. Zero began to force himself out of the bed. X didn't notice as he whimpered "it reminded me of..."

Before X could finish, Zero had wrapped his arms tightly around his friend's shaking figure. X started in surprise, and then leaned into his friend's embrace, tears streaming from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, X. I'm so sorry." Zero whispered to his friend. "I promise I won't leave you like that again. I promise."

X sniffled, and wiping his tears away, he looked at his friend and smiled. "It's a promise, then" he replied.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Zero's legs gave out from beneath him. He gasped loudly as he fell onto the floor. X looked at his friend worriedly, before realizing that his friend had gotten out of bed before all his systems had come online.

X then saw the surprised look on Zero's face and the comical way he was sprawled out on the floor and laughed. Zero looked up at him shocked, but was soon laughing with him. A hoarse, rough sounding laugh, but laughter all the same.

"That......" Zero snorted "that was dumb."

X chuckled, and then got up to help his friend. “It really was” X laughed, kneeling to pick Zero up.

X scooped the larger reploid up into his arms. When he stood back up, Zero jokingly breathed out “My prince” in the girliest voice he could muster. The two then stared at each other for a moment before they both broke out into laughter once more.

After a few moments, Harley came bursting into the room with a panicked and dread-filled look on his face, only to have it shift straight into complete confusion at the sight of Zero being carried in X’s arms bride style, the both of them laughing loudly and joyously.

X noticed the doctor first. “What’s up?” he asked. “Is something the matter?”

Zero looked at the doctor a little guiltily, knowing full well he wasn’t supposed to be out of bed yet.

Harley looked at both of them, then sighed and, pointing at Zero, said “He’s not supposed to be out of bed yet, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“Then why are you here?” Zero queried.

“I’m here” he replied, wheeling over to one of the monitors, “because I was watching your output chart and you FLATLINED.” He then irritably held up a wire and continued. “This is your vitality wire. It transmits data to me so that I can watch to make sure you don’t DIE in recovery somehow. If it’s not attached, it doesn’t transmit data. And here it is, hanging from the monitor, NOT ATTACHED. I THOUGHT YOU HAD-”

X flinched, and Harley stopped himself from finishing his thought. He sighed, and instead said “Ah well, I’m glad to see that it’s nothing serious.”

A brief silence hung in the air, before Zero coughed and said “Well, I know I’m not SUPPOSED to be out of bed, but since X can carry me…”

“No, you can’t leave early” the doctor replied, cutting him off. “You’ll have to stay in bed until all the post op stuff is complete. Sorry, Zero.”

Zero let out an annoyed “Tch.”

 “And X?” Harley said as X carried Zero back to his bed. “Sorry to say this, but visiting hours are over.”

“Oh!” X exclaimed as he set Zero down. “Are they really?”

“Yeah” the doctor replied. “Have been for the last hour.”

“O-oh. My bad… I guess I’ll just… go, then?” X sheepishly grinned, and turned towards the door, stopping only to wave at his friend. “See you tomorrow, Zero!”

Zero grinned back at him. “See you then!”

Once X had exited the room, Harley turned to Zero and said “You have one heck of a friend there, Zero.”

“Yeah….” Zero sighed, a content smile on his face. “Yeah, I do.”

“Well then” Harley clapped his hands and, grabbing the wires from the monitor, said “let’s get you hooked back up, shall we?”

* * *

 

**A few days later….**

“Zero!”

Zero turned around to see X dashing up to him, an excited grin radiating from his face. “X” Zero said as he smiled and waved at his friend. X stopped a foot away from Zero and said “So, you’re finally out of the ward rooms, huh?”

“Yep” Zero easily replied. “I’m finally free.”

“That’s great!” X cheered, and Zero could detect a hint of something devious in his voice. Leaning against a wall, Zero asked “Alright, X, what is it?”

“What is what?” X coyly replied, feigning ignorance. Zero squinted his eyes at him. “What are you hiding, X?”

“I’m not hiding anything.” X smirked, and then deflected any more probing questions with “You…. Want to go walk around town?”

Zero raised an eyebrow. “Right now?”

“Yep!”

Zero raised a hand to his chin. “I don’t know…”

He smirked mischievously at X, and X snorted before lightly punching him in the shoulder. “Come on, Zero, let’s just go!”

“Oh, alright...” Zero relented, his smirk turning to a smile. X beamed at him, then took off running down the hall, yelling “First one to the hangar bay picks music!” over his shoulder.

“Wha…. Hey, no fair!” Zero yelled as he ran after his laughing friend.

Zero could already tell it was going to be a great day.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my Robotfam for giving me the idea for this fic, and thank you for reading it! I really hoped you liked it. I have a ton of other writing that I need to polish up before posting here, but they will be posted, so look forward to that.  
> Also, I would love to hear any critics you may have, be it grammar or characterization or whatever! I'm still learning, so it would be greatly appreciated. (A kudos would be nice too. I love to see that people enjoy my writing. It's kind of the sole reason I write, if I'm being honest.)  
> Again, thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.  
> Until next time!


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